# Congress Just Stripped $1.1 Billion from NPR and PBS. Your Local News Is Next.

### Congress voted to eliminate federal funding for public broadcasting, dealing a devastating blow to hundreds of rural stations that depend on government support to survive.

[Kahlil Greene](https://substack.com/@kahlilgreene)

Jul 20, 2025

This week, Congress voted along party lines to strip $1.1 billion in federal funding from NPR and PBS. The Senate passed the measure 51-48 early Thursday morning, followed by a 216-213 House vote on Friday. The bill now heads to Trump's desk for his signature.

Trump called NPR and PBS "worse than CNN & MSDNC put together" and threatened to withhold support from any Republican who didn't vote for the cuts. Republicans successfully used a rarely-used rescissions process to bypass the normal 60-vote threshold and cancel funding that had already been approved on a bipartisan basis.

### The Real Impact Falls on Local Stations

Republicans framed the cuts around allegations of liberal bias at NPR and PBS. They dragged executives before Congress in March, questioning them about old social media posts and programming decisions. But the national networks will largely survive these cuts.

NPR receives only 1% of its funding from the federal government. PBS gets about 15%. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting distributes most federal money directly to local stations across the country.

Hundreds of rural and tribal stations depend on federal funding for up to 50% of their operating budgets. These stations provide emergency broadcasts during hurricanes and wildfires. They often serve as the only source of local news in areas where newspapers have already died.

Many are expected to shut down without federal support. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, one of only two Republicans who voted against the cuts, warned that public stations in her state provide "tsunami alerts, landslide alerts, volcano alerts." As she spoke Tuesday, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Alaska, triggering tsunami warnings broadcast on local public radio stations.

PBS estimates roughly 15% of its member stations will be unable to operate without CPB funding.

### Congress Changed the Rules to Force These Cuts Through

The rescissions process that Republicans used to push this bill through hasn't been attempted in 25 years. This allowed them to modify a bipartisan spending agreement along party lines and avoid the Senate's normal 60-vote threshold.

Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told reporters the administration will "likely" send another rescissions package to Capitol Hill soon.

Democrats warned that this process undermines bipartisan governance and makes it harder to pass future funding bills. Senator Chuck Schumer called the package "an affront to the bipartisan appropriations process."

### Why Independent Media Matters More Than Ever

I create content that reaches hundreds of thousands of people every week, challenges official narratives, and connects historical patterns to current events. Every day, I watch platforms crack down harder on creators who tell these inconvenient truths.

TikTok and Instagram are becoming increasingly hostile to educational content about historical oppression. Platforms remove videos without explanation while algorithms suppress anything that challenges comfortable narratives.

Now they're systematically defunding public media as well, in a coordinated attack on independent journalism and educational content across multiple platforms and institutions. This newsletter remains one of the few spaces where I can share these stories without interference.

But sustaining independent media requires community support.

Over 28,000 of you subscribe to this newsletter, but less than 4% are paid supporters.

Here's what becomes possible with more support:

> 📚 **At 5% paid subscribers:** I can bring on historians and educators who've been pushed out of universities and schools  
> 🎯 **At 10% paid subscribers:** I can publish daily analysis connecting current events to historical patterns  
> 🌍 **At 20% paid subscribers:** We build a platform that amplifies other independent voices, especially those from marginalized communities being systematically silenced

All for the price of a coffee once a month.

### Building Media They Can't Control

They can cut federal funding, but they can't stop us from supporting each other directly.

While they eliminate public broadcasting, we can build reader-supported independent media that exists because people like you believe these stories matter.

**Will you join me in this effort?**